Twelve EU member states exceed one or more emission limits

Twelve member states in the European Union have exceeded one or more of the emission limits set by the EU National Emission Ceilings (NEC) Directive, according to recent data, with some states exceeding the amount by a significant amount.

The preliminary data for 2010, reported to the European Environment Agency (EEA), found that many states failed to meet the legally binding emission limits for 2010 set in the NEC Directive. This covers all the main air pollutants such as sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) and ammonia (NH3), which can all cause respiratory problems.

EEA executive director Professor Jacqueline McGlade said: “These pollutants contribute to health problems and can also lead to economic losses and environmental damage. The EEA data shows that many EU Member States missed the 2010 limits, so these countries will need to make further efforts to help reduce air pollution in Europe.”

NOx was found to be the pollutant which most exceeds the limit, with preliminary analysis showing that Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Spain and Sweden all exceeded their respective NOx ceilings.

Posted by Claire Manning